Lemongrass fried chicken is everything I want in a truly unforgettable fried chicken recipe! The chicken is marinated in a buttermilk brine blended with fresh lemongrass, Thai chilies, and fish sauce, keeping every bite incredibly juicy while infusing it with layers of flavor. After a dredge in a seasoned flour and cornstarch coating, it fries up impossibly crispy and golden brown.
As incredible as the chicken is on its own, it’s the finishing drizzle that makes this recipe one I’ll come back to again and again. Instead of a classic hot honey drizzle, I toss together honey, spicy chili crisp, fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions for a sweet & spicy topping that clings to every piece. It’s a truly unforgettable flavor combination!
Table of Contents
The Crispiest Fried Chicken You’ll Ever Try
If you’ve ever wondered how fried chicken could possibly get any better, this recipe is my answer. I’ve taken all the best practices for frying up some shatteringly crisp and juicy chicken, but gave it my own special twist! Adding lots of fresh lemongrass to the buttermilk brine gives it a bright and citrusy flavor and my honey-chili crisp drizzle takes it over the top. I promise you’ve never had fried chicken like this!
If you’ve never made fried chicken before or if you feel intimidated, have no fear! Frying chicken is a labor of love, but I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to make it as simple as possible. I’m also sharing my secret for the crispiest chicken you’ve ever had: cornstarch! Adding cornstarch to the flour creates those extra-craggy, crispy pieces that are just to die for.
This fried chicken recipe has just the right amount of heat, crunch, and richness. Every bite is crispy, juicy, sticky, and packed with bold flavor that’s guaranteed to keep you reaching for another piece. Serve it up with my charred scallion ranch and you’ve got a winning flavor combo!
Jenny’s Tips for Frying Chicken
Let the chicken brine overnight. If you’re going to go through the trouble of frying chicken from scratch, don’t rush the process! Letting the chicken brine overnight in buttermilk ensures that it stays super tender and juicy while frying.
Let the chicken rest after dredging. Have you ever had fried chicken where the breading falls right off? That’s because it wasn’t allowed to rest before frying. Letting the dredged chicken rest allows the breading to hydrate and become tacky which helps it stick to the chicken even after it’s fried.
Don’t crowd the pot. Always fry your chicken in batches of 3-4 pieces depending on the size of your pot. If you try and cram too much chicken, you’ll cool the oil way down and end up with greasy chicken that takes forever to cook.
Always use a probe thermometer to determine doneness. Nothing is worse than finding out your fried chicken is undercooked! Use an inexpensive probe thermometer to make sure the chicken is 165°F at its thickest part near the bone.
Drain the chicken on a wire rack, not paper towels. To keep your chicken crispy, set a wire rack over a baking sheet and let the chicken drain on that instead of directly on paper towels. The oil will sit on the paper towels and then transfer back to the chicken making it soggy. I keep my tray in a 200°F oven and add my chicken to it as it finishes frying to keep it warm.
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Recipe Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Chicken. I like a mix of bone-in thighs and drumsticks but you can also use wings. You can also use boneless chicken if you prefer, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Buttermilk. It’s not fried chicken without a buttermilk brine! The acid in the buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and helps the flour coating stick.
- Lemongrass. While there is lemongrass paste available, it doesn’t have the same flavor as fresh. I recommend checking your local asian market for fresh lemongrass.
- Egg. Adding egg to the buttermilk brine helps the flour coating stick and stay!
- Flour. Good old fashioned all purpose flour is best here.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is the ultimate secret to shatteringly crisp fried chicken. When used in a dredge or batter, it absorbs moisture from the chicken’s surface and fries up into a light, crunchy crust.
- Thai chilies. These pack a bit of heat! If you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to omit them or use a milder chili pepper.
- Chili crisp topping. You can use any brand of chili oil or chili crisp! Just mix it up with some honey, garlic, ginger, and scallions and it’s magic drizzled over the fried chicken.
How to Prepare Lemongrass for Cooking
If you’ve never used lemongrass in cooking, it’s so flavorful! It’s easy to use, but there are some things to look for. If you’re buying lemongrass at the store, it was likely picked a while ago.
You’ll notice the top is woody and dry. Remove any of the dry or woody parts. This also means peeling the lemongrass until you find tender inner leaves. Remove the root end, chop up the tender parts, and you’re ready to go!
How to Make Lemongrass Fried Chicken
- Brine the chicken. This makes all the difference in making super juicy fried chicken! All you need to do is use a strong blender to blend the buttermilk with the lemongrass, chilies, egg, and fish sauce. Pour it over the chicken and let the chicken brine for 12 hours.
- Dredge and rest the chicken. In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, salt and white pepper and coat the chicken really well in it. Set the chicken on a wire rack and let it rest while you heat the oil up.
- Make the chili crisp topping. I like to do this before I fry the chicken so that it’s ready to go when the chicken is done. Simply warm the chili oil or crisp in a small saucepan and sizzle the scallions in there before adding the honey, ginger, and garlic. Once everything is soft, turn off the heat and keep it ready to drizzle over the chicken.
- Fry the chicken in batches. You want to avoid overcrowding the pot so that the oil doesn’t cool down too much. Fry the chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a spider to remove the chicken from the oil and transfer it to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken, then drizzle it with the honey-chili crisp topping!
What to Serve on the Side
This ultra-crispy lemongrass fried chicken is a meal in itself! But when it comes to hosting (and this chicken is perfect for that!), I love to have plenty of side dishes to pair! Try any pairing any of these winning recipes:
- Hawaiian-style Mac Salad
- Gochujang Cucumber Salad
- Vietnamese-style Cabbage Salad
- Grilled Japanese-style Elote
- Steamed Jasmine Rice
If you’re looking for a beverage pairing, lemongrass fried chicken is best paired with something bubbly, like a crisp light beer or a glass of champagne. The bubbles help naturally balance out the fattiness of the chicken and leave your palate feeling clean, instead of greasy.
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Asian-Inspired Chicken Recipes to Try
Lemongrass Grilled Chicken
Coconut Milk Braised Chicken
Chicken Congee
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
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Lemongrass Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Lemongrass Fried Chicken
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 4 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed and chopped
- 4 Thai birds eye chilies
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Kosher salt
- canola oil, for frying
- charred scallion ranch (optional), for serving
Chili Crisp Topping
- 1/4 cup chili oil with chili flake or chili crisp
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. In a high-powered blender, combine the buttermilk, lemongrass, thai chilies, fish sauce, egg, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour the buttermilk marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing as much of the air out of the bag as possible, and let the chicken marinate overnight.
- Make the honey chili crisp. Add the chili oil to a small saute pan or pot over medium heat. Add white and light green parts of green onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add honey, ginger and garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes, just until the garlic is no longer raw. Stir in the sliced dark green parts of the scallion. Set aside.
- Dredge the chicken. Remove the chicken from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, white pepper, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Whisk the flour mixture well so that everything is evenly distributed. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and coat the pieces really well in the flour, pressing the flour into the meat. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before frying.
- Fry the chicken pieces. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 350 F. Lower the heat to medium. Working in batches of 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time, fry the chicken for 8-12 minutes, keeping the heat steady, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Use a spider to transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. You can keep the chicken in a 200 F oven to keep it warm while you fry the rest of the chicken.
- Drizzle the fried chicken with the honey chili-crisp and serve with the charred scallion ranch on the side.
Storage Instructions
- Store any leftover fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Fried chicken is best reheated on a baking sheet at 325 F or in the air fryer until warmed through and crispy.
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